It Takes Two - Erin and Brian's Wedding by Siobhan Byrne Photography

It's going to be hard to keep up with today's celebrations, to say it's a whirlwind of activity would be an understatement. Lovebirds Brian and Erin met in Sweden and planned their wedding from Berlin! To add to the confusion, the groom proposed to the bride just three days before the wedding. Luckily the pair had already started planning their dream wedding day and they celebrated in style in both Texas and Ireland. We are delighted to share the Irish celebrations from Banada Community Hall in Sligo, and our pal Siobhan Byrne captured part one of this Texas meets Irish wedding...

So we told you Erin and Brian met in Sweden, but how did they actually get together, well it all started when they shared a house together - with three other people! Erin filled us in on those early days...We were roommates for two and half years and during that time we ended up becoming kind of ‘sparky’ friends. Right before we were both moving out, the whole house went to Ireland for Brian’s sister’s wedding and during that trip, after a unique birthday celebration in Donegal, Brian and I went for a midnight stroll and found out that we had actually fallen in love! How sweet to start out as and friends and then to fall in love!

Once the pair had realised what was probably obvious to everyone else, things moved fairly fast, so much so that they were nearly married before they'd even been engaged! No time to waste I suppose when you're loved up...It became a bit of a joke between us and all of our friends that we were to be married and never be engaged (we do tend to do be a bit unorthodox on occasion). Brian always wanted a short engagement, so he actually surprised me and asked me to marry him three days before our wedding. He took me for a seaweed bath in Sligo and then he gave me my engagement ring.

So after deciding to get married the pair had a few plans in mind. They wanted to have not one, but two weddings, one in each of their homes. The wedding we get to peek at today took place in Sligo, in the same town where Brian grew up. The sweet theme, as Erin termed it, was ‘parish hall puts out the best china’,and we love it!

Erin's bridal look is stunning we love the lace overlay and the full skirt is so romantic. The beautiful bride kept her make up and hair traditional and we love the rosy red lips!

The handsome groom's style is very country gentlemen, with a tweed waistcoat and navy mixed wool suit and tie. Brian teamed his look with brown boots and he fits in perfectly to the country manor surroundings don't you think?

Brian and Erin opted for a first look, keeping the day's elements unconventional. A first look is a trend that we think is so sweet, it's not for everyone, but if it is something you think you might like, there are some lovely things to consider. Firstly it takes the pressure off the 'walking down the aisle' part of the ceremony, it's a good way to calm the nerves of both the bride and groom and it's a special moment that you can share privately...plus the photos opportunities are fab!

When it came to the invitations, Brian and Erin used a combination of online printable designs and their own ideas. Their goal was to give their guests a little taster of what was to come on the wedding day, this was a hard task as the pair were having two very different celebrations, one in Ireland and one in Texas. They kept it simple with a tree and scroll graphic which they could be used for both wedding invitations.

The pair shared their vows surrounded by family and friends at Lough Talt Chapel.

So when Erin described the Irish edition of their wedding as ‘parish hall puts out the best china’, she wasn't kidding about the parish hall! They had a tough time finding a suitable wedding venue, and ended up choosing Banada Community Hall. The community hall functions as the high school gym, so it took a little extra logistics and planning to turn it into the perfect wedding venue. And for Erin the extra work was well worth it... Even though it took some work to transform it, I have to say that working with a blank canvas like that was perfect for me because I had the structure and space to do pretty much anything and there is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your vision come to life in just the right way.

The couple brought in burlap to create a faux ceiling, and they even designed and built the amazing chandeliers from scratch using hanging jam jars!

Can you believe this is a basketball gym by day?! What an amazing transformation, creating a faux ceiling brings warmth and intimacy to the space and the couple rented tables and chairs. To bring the space together the couple created little sitting rooms with antique furniture for guests to enjoy a cup of tea away from the hustle and bustle of music and dancing.

The logistics worked in Brian's favor when it came to the drinks for the evening. They were able to have kegs of Guinness from Brian's local, Joe Dan Mullarkey's Pub and to welcome their guests, Brian and Erin nixed the champagne in favour of cocktails and cider.

Brian and Erin decided to use real plants instead of flowers for the centerpieces - heather and cabbages give a local touch as well as adding colour and texture.

When it came to the food, Erin and Brian hired Louise of Silver Apple to cater the day and they could not have been happier with what was prepared... We both love food and high quality fare and plenty of it were top on our list to provide to our guests. We talked with several caterers and restaurants from the area and were struggling to find a match until we found Louise and the chemistry was instantaneous. She was a dream to work with – flexible, available and just excited to work with us. Months later people are still talking about the food!

As for the desert, Erin made a Guinness chocolate cake, one of Brian's favourites, the day before the wedding to serve as the wedding cake. They also had a desert buffet with treats made by their friends, family and neighbors. Delish!

Planning a wedding can be tricky enough when you add planning a wedding in Ireland, from Berlin your head can just spin thinking of all the little details and elements that need your attention. So Erin's advice is simple - hire a wedding planner! We desperately needed someone on the ground to help us with some groundwork and also to be fully in charge of logistics on the day of the wedding. So we hired Leon Fox of Lifestyle Expos in Ballina. She was more than a wedding planner but rather, a wedding coordinator and she was a complete life saver!

Thank you so much, Erin and Brian, for sharing your wonderful wedding with us today! And thanks to the ever talented Siobhan Byrne for sharing her work with us at One Fab Day! To see more of Siobhan's work pop over to www.siobhanbyrnephotography.com